good morning. thwarted. fbi experts analyzing a new al qaeda underwear bomb. would it have made it past airport security? was it powerful enough to take down a passenger plane? this morning, new information on the terror plot stopped by the cia. on the edge. a mother and her two young daughters dangle from a bridge, inches from death, survive thanks to incredible luck, and some brave rescuers. this morning, that grateful mom speaks out in an exclusive live interview. and people watching paradise. stars, supermodels and other fashion icons take to the red carpet in what's being called the oscars of the east "today," carpet in what's being called the oscars of the east "today," tuesday, may 8th, 200012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. we had a recent assessment by the obama administration that said al qaeda is a shadow of its former self. but this latest thwarted attempt shows that the network is still making a lot of efforts to attack. >> absolutely right, matt. because on monday we learned that a covert cia operation in yemen stopped a suicide mission that planned to use an upgraded underwear bomb, containing no metal at all, on a flight headed here to the united states. we're going to get more on this from president obama's top counterterrorism adviser just ahead. >> also ahead, after a very bitter primary battle, former presidential candidate rick santorum has now endorsed his former republican rival mitt romney. wasn't exactly a rousing endorsement.

he did it in an e-mail sent overnight. we're going to have more on that story as well. >> also prince harry has been in washington. he's been dazzling washington. we're going to tell you who he was rubbing shoulders with during his first visit to the nation's capital. >> but let u.s. begin this morning with that al qaeda terror plot. an alleged plan to blow up an underwear bomb aboard a jet headed to the united states. it was stopped by the cia before it could be launched. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams has the latest on this. pete, good morning. >> matt, good morning. american officials say they actually found out about this plot a month ago. they followed it closely, and then they shut it down. and after that they seized the device that the terrorists intended to use. it's now here in the u.s., where the fbi is studying how it was made. u.s. officials say the target was to be a passenger airliner bound for the u.s., though no specific airline or flight had been chosen when the plot was disrupted. but they say, a potential suicide bomber had been recruited and was being trained. officials declined to say if

he's in custody. >> as far as the person who actually had the bomb, the exact language that was used to me was, we no longer have to be concerned about him. >> reporter: the plan was to use a more refined version of the underwear bomb worn by umar abdulmutallab who tried to detonate it christmas day 2009. it failed to work properly and simply caught fire. as with the earlier device, officials say this latest one had no metal parts, intended to evade the full-body scanners widely deployed after the underwear bomber's attempt. >> it's a reminder as to why we have to remain vigilant at home and abroad, in protecting our nation, and in protecting friendly nations and people. >> reporter: the terror plan had all the hall marks of the al qaeda offshoot in yemen, a terror group the u.s. is most concerned about. but administration officials say these plotters were very closely monitored, suggesting an informant was in on it. we were confident, said a senior administration official, that we

had inside control over any plot that might have been associated with this device. as part of the same counterterror operation, a top al qaeda figure was killed in a weekend air strike. intelligence officials say he would have approved any such terror plot. >> this organization has had a bad week. this plot has been disrupted. we have the device in our possession. and they have lost several of their senior leaders as a result of drone strikes. >> reporter: intelligence officials say the device was likely made by the top bombmaker for al qaeda in yemen, ibrahim hassan al asiri, who designed the 2009 underwear bomb, and the devices hidden in printer cartridges that were intercepted on air cargo shipments destined for chicago two years ago. an administration official says the bomb is now at the fbi's crime lab just outside washington, d.c., where explosives experts are analyzing how it was made, and whether it could have evaded airport security screenings. ann? >> pete williams this morning. pete, thanks. john brennan is the president's chief counterterrorism adviser. mr. brennan, good morning.

>> good morning, ann. >> give us a sense of just what it took to thwart this plot, and also to get our hands on this bomb. >> well, it took very close cooperation with our international partners. this is something that we have really emphasized over the past many years. working very closely with our yemeni partners because al qaeda in the peninsula poses a threat to us. having intelligence and being able to take action before any of these ieds can make their way to an airplane or airport is instrumental in terms of being able to obstruct these types of attacks before they get under way. >> do we have the alleged bomber in custody >> we don't have to worry about the ied or the would-be bomber. and this is still in a sensitive stage. we're working very closely with those partners. we want to protect source of methods as well as operational equities. but neither the device nor the would-be bomber poses a threat. >> okay. it's reported that this device was all plastic like the one

that was used christmas 2009 during that attempt there. what will comparing these devices teach us, tell us about what advanced al qaeda is making, and how effective they now are getting devices through air -- airport security? >> well, aqap's bombmaker, ibrahim al asiri, has demonstrated real proficiency as far as concealment methods, as well as the materials that are used in these ieds. and so what the fbi is doing right now is taking a look at this ied, and see what type of modifications, refinements, may have been made. now we adapt our measures accordingly. and so, whatever we learn from this ied, we're going to ensure there's going to be incorporated into the measures that we take at airports, as well as any other avenues of approach that the wouldish db terrorists would take. >> do we have technology now that can screen for these kinds of plastics? >> we have redundant systems. and so we have advanced imaging technology. we have different types of

measures that are in place at airports. it's a combination of those measures that we take at the airport, as well as the intelligence that allows us to learn about individuals getting on planes. we have been doing a fair amount of screening, of passengers, both again physically as well as making sure that we know about those individuals before they get aboard an aircraft. >> you know, you recently said that al qaeda is a shadow of its former self. and certainly we have taken down a lot of al qaeda leaders, one was actually taken down just this past sunday. but given this latest plot, can we actually truly say that al qaeda has been weakened? the threat from al qaeda has been weakened? >> well, al qaeda core in pakistan has truly been degraded significantly. we've been working very closely with our pakistani partners to do that. but al qaeda in the arabian peninsula is the most operationally active element of al qaeda these days. it has tried in the past to carry out attacks multiple times against aircraft.

it's carried out assassination attacks in the arabian peninsula. so it is a lethal organization, it's a dangerous one. that's why we have to continue to work very closely with our yemeni partners so that we're able to stop these attacks before they get under way. >> you mentioned that this would-be bomber, we don't have to worry about him. has he been killed? >> i'm not going to go into any of the operational details, again. it just -- i think the american people should feel confident that this device, and the bomber that would use it, are no longer a threat to the american public. this is something that we had visibility into early on and therefore what we're doing now is we're taking additional measures in the event that there are other efforts out there on the part of al qaeda to try to evade security. >> all right. well white house counterterrorism adviser john brennan, thank you. on -- on multiple levels this morning. >> thank you, ann. >> all right. well michael lighter was director of the national counterterrorism center at the time of that failed 2009 underwear bomb attempt. he is now an nbc national

security analyst. michael good morning to you. >> good morning, ann. how are you? >> you -- great. i imagine that you've got something to say about the fact that -- that part of the story here is that the u.s. was able to take down this effort, foil this plot, that was apparently from the hinterlands of yemen. isn't that part of the story here? >> absolutely, ann. this is a very difficult intelligence operation, to actually find individuals working with foreign partners and really have the entire u.s. intelligence community, led by the cia, have people in a position to identify these operatives before they get on planes, be inside the plot enough to disrupt them before they're even close to our shores, that really represents an enormous victory for u.s. counterterrorism efforts. >> well, you know, as you have pointed out in the past, this 2009 bomb plot, the christmas bomb plot, showed us that they're able to get a bomb, a device past airline security. but they haven't -- weren't able at that time to ignite the bomb.

if they're able -- when we analyze the -- what we have now in our possession, this bomb that would have gone off, if we see that it could have been ignited, what does that do in terms of how we stay a step ahead of these plotters? >> john brennan just said, they are always trying to modify their means to produce a more effective weapon that can bypass our security measures. in the case of abdulmutallab the igniter and the initial charge did not work well enough. it simply started a fire. i would guess they spent much of the past two years perfecting that mechanism. so in this case, to keep them off the plane in the first place. and then also at the same time, make sure that our advanced imaging technology, that our different screening methods, that our intelligence is in place to help locate those operatives before they even get on. if this bomb technique is actual actually. if this bomb technique is more

advanced than their previous one it's going to be that much harder to find them before they get on the plane. >> michael leiter, thank you so much. it's a great thing we have our hands on that device. >> no question about it. it is a very busy morning. let's get a check of the rest of the headlines from natalie who is standing over at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt and ann. good morning, everyone. a new ally for gop presidential hopeful mitt romney in the race for the white house. nbc's peter alexander has the latest from washington. peter good morning. >> natalie, good morning to you. that new ally is rick santorum. but this wasn't exactly a resounding endorsement by santorum. it was sent out in the 13th paragraph of a late-night e-mail, urging his supporters to back mitt romney. here's exactly what santorum writes. he says, above all else, we both agree that president obama must be defeated. the task will not be easy. it will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious. governor romney will be that nominee, and he has my endorsement and support to win this, the most critical election of our lifetime. santorum and romney met privately last friday after a

bitter primary fight. you'll remember at one point santorum even called romney the worst republican in the country. to put up against barack obama. still this morning, one romney senior adviser insists to me that this demonstrates, natalie, that the party is now completely united. >> all right. peter alexander in our washington bureau. thank you, peter. the producer of finely textured beef, commonly known as pink slime is closing processing plants in three states this month, in the wake of the backlash against the ammonia treated product. beef products inc. says the criticism against the filler is unfounded as it meets federal food safety standards, and has been in use for years. the search for two tennessee sisters is intensifying today. two bodies found behind the home of their accused kidnapper have now been identified as the missing girl's mother and older sister. authorities say the two missing sisters may still be alive with the alleged abductor. 35-year-old family friend adam mayes. experts on the front lines

in the fight against obesity meet in washington, d.c. today to outline a new strategy as america's weight problem expands. over one-third of adults in this country are currently obese. but by 2030, 42% will be. this according to a government-funded study. now let's head to wall street. cnbc's courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange. good morning to you, chortny. >> hi, good morning, notly. bank of america will begin mailing 200,000 letters offering certain customers mortgage principle reduction. it's all part of that $25 billion program that settlement reached between the government and the nation's largest mortgage services over so-called robo-signing. elsewhere the treasury department is looking to reduce its stake in aig to 61% from 70%, and the government accountability office reports the u.s. taxpayer could profit up to $15.1 billion from the aig bailout. natalie? >> all right, courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. thank you. and some sad news to tell you about this morning. after he curled up on our couch

and won nationwide affection for tipping the scales at 39 pounds, meow the cat has died. the santa fe humane society had taken in the tubby tabby after his elderly owner could no longer take care of him. he'd been put on a diet and started to lose weight but he died on saturday of weight-related complications. matt, ann and al, the santa fe humane society said a huge thanks to all who loved him, and, you know, for their support. >> yeah. that's really sad. once again you have to be very careful about not letting your cats get too overweight. >> natalie, thanks very much. >> pink filler story. >> oh. >> well it is checked can i say and your stripes i'm feeling fashion threatened this morning. i really am. >> mr. roker. >> okay. let's see what we got for you. let's check it out. for today, wet weather here in the northeast. it's going to bring some rain, some of it heavy at times. we're looking at anywhere from about an inch to two inches of

rain up through new england in to central new york and central pennsylvania. out west we got more rain where we really need it, dallas, texas, still under drought conditions. and rainfall amounts there, generally about anywhere from 3 to 4 inches of rain. right centered over del rio. >> good morning. we're watching a system, the mountains that will increase the chance of rain for baltimore. a better chance for showers this that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. disgraced former presidential candidate john edwards is back in court today, accused of violating campaign finance laws in order to hide his

then-pregnant mistress. on monday, there was some testimony that may have gone a long way to helping his case. nbc's lisa myers is outside the courthouse in greensboro, north carolina, with more on that. lisa, good morning. >> good morning, matt. the one-time friend who spirited a pregnant rielle hunter away to an awaiting plane in the middle of the night is back on the stand today, testifying for the prosecution. but not all of the prosecution's witnesses have followed their script. in fact, analysts say a key witness actually helped the defense. alex forged, a longtime lawyer for heiress rachel "bunny" mellon was called as a prosecution witness but he proceeded to undercut key aspects of the prosecution's case saying that bunny mellon gave $725,000 to help john edwards because of a deep friendship, and not to further his campaign. forger said after mellon's husband paul died she had few close friends, she took a liking

to mr. edwards. she liked him as a person. it wasn't because he was running for elected office. the government alleges the mellon money was an illegal campaign contribution, which edwards denies. after forger's testimony, edwards whispered to his daughter, cate, it was a good morning for the home team. >> i think forger was damaging to the government and helpful to john edwards. >> reporter: on monday the jury also heard from another campaign adviser, nick balding, who said rielle hunter caused so much turmoil as the campaign videographer that one staffer begged to get off the traveng freak show. and he says hunter was paid more than $100,000 for webisodes that were a disaster. >> can you read it? >> yes, i can read it. >> you can? >> yes. >> reporter: tim tobin, who will be back on the stand today, recounted being asked to do a big favor for edwards in december 2007. pick up andrew and cheri young and a pregnant woman wearing

sunglasses in the middle of the night, and get them to a waiting jet, which flew them out of north carolina. at the airport, tobin realized it was rielle hunter. tobin testified that john edwards called him later that day. he just wanted to thank me for what i had done for him, and he wouldn't forget what i had done for him, tobin said. >> it didn't cover the money trail, but it does put edwards back in the center of the effort to hide the affair. >> reporter: tobin testified that edwards once told him he might start a foundation and that it would be a chip shot for a wealthy supporter to give him $50 million. but tobin said a year later edwards claimed andrew had tried to bilk mrs. mellon out of $50 million. tobin said he used to be friends with both edwards and his chief accuser, andrew young, but then about three years ago, edwards told him he had to choose between them. tobin says he chose to remain friends with andrew young. matt? >> all right, lisa myers in north carolina this morning. lisa, thank you very much.

it's 18 minutes after the hour. once again here's ann. >> matt, thanks. there's an extra special buzz in washington, d.c. today, and it doesn't have a thing to do with politics. britain's prince harry came to town to accept an award, and this prince was truly charming. nbc's kristen welker is on royal watch for us this morning. kristen, good morning. >> -- prince harry arrived here on monday evening. but inside, he was surrounded by some of the world's most distinguished dignitaries, including u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon and former secretary of state colin powell. he was also focused on sending a message about the importance of helping wounded warriors in this country, and in his. once called the party prince, harry showed his serious side at a black tie event in the nation's capital monday, accepting a humanitarian award on behalf of himself, and his brother, for their work with injured soldiers.

>> so many of our service men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice. the very least we owe them is to make sure that they, and their brave families, have everything they need through the darkest days. >> reporter: a veteran himself, prince harry spent more than an hour earlier in the day with wounded veterans. thanking them for their service, and sacrifice. royal watchers say the trip is yet another sign prince harry is growing up. >> he has really developed into a bit of a royal superstar. his naturalness, his ability to engage, and his humanitarian side has really made an impact. >> reporter: but his throngs of adoring, mostly female, fans, were just hoping to catch a glimpse. >> of course. he's very handsome. yes. well william is taken so i guess he's kind of my favorite by default. >> is there a tiny bit of you that dreams about becoming the next princess? >> it's more than a tiny bit. it's like a large bit. >> sorry ladies, the word is,

britain's only single prince just got back together request his on-again/off-again girlfriend, chelsey davey. >> according to reports harry has been seeing his ex-girlfriend chelsy davy again. what we do know is they have remained in contact over the years. >> it's no wonder harry hasn't settled down yet according to royal watchers, because he's been busy with his royal duties. in march visiting south america and the caribbean. and last year, another trip to the u.s. this time for apache helicopter training. third in line to the throne, harry has always been a bit in his brother's shadow. but some say he is becoming his own man, carrying the torch his mother, princess diana, left behind. >> well, harry really has the gift that his mother did, which is knowing how to communicate with people and being devoted to his charitable causes. >> now guests here dined on grilled beef filet and seven layer chocolate fudge cake.

this event is hosted by the atlantic council, which is a d.c. based think tank. past award recipients include youtube front man bono and former president bill clinton. ann? >> and that's great company. all right. kristen welker, thank you so much. coming up this morning, the mom and her two daughters who miraculously survived after their car was dangling off the edge of a highway overpass. they're all here for an exclusive interview. but first this is "today" on nbc.

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your lip butter? likewise. new revlon® colorburst™ lip butter. a hydrating buttery balm for baby soft lips in 20 shiny colors. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning, everybody. i am stan stovall. 20-year-old man faces six criminal counts out for a woman chases him out of a restroom. the alleged victim caught is accurate campbell spying on at hary campbell-- zaca spying on the bathroom and essex but he also pleaded guilty to

another peeping tom charge in january. that's check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> plenty of delays out there. we will get you up-to-date on some incidents as well. reckord road, we have an accident. 14 miles per hour on the west side, that begins on greenspring to the west side due to an earlier accident past liberty. clinton street and fayette street, watch for an accident. heavy delays on the j.f.x. 19 miles per hour on average. slow-go there. live view of a couple of other spots and 140. going away from us is outer loop traffic. that is the pace of things at greenspring. this is the area of the j.f.x. at 41st street. heavy delays down towards the

construction zone. tony has to check on your forecast. >> we have sunshine sneaking through the cloud deck now. 59 at the airport. there is some rain. this will arrive later this afternoon and into the evening. mostly cloudy, chants of for showers this afternoon. scattered showers and thunderstorms on wednesday

imagine you're driving with your two daughters, a 10-year-old and a tiny baby, and this happens. you're hit by a truck, the car is smashed and you're dangling off a bridge facing certain death below. thanks to one mom's bravery, some incredible luck, and also amazing rescue efforts, the whole family survived, and we're going to meet them and talk to them in just a couple of minutes. that footage speaks for itself. you see the look on that mom's face and you know what she's facing. >> we can all identify with just how we would feel in that moment. i mean, pretty powerful story. >> 7:30, may 8th, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. >> that's right. coming up we'll also be talking this morning about the fashion world and some of hollywood's favorite dressed to impress last

night at the annual met costume gala. giuliana rancic was there, as well, and is going to tell us who made the biggest impression. lots to look at. >> also ahead we have professionals plus two. star, donny, hoda and kathie lee touch on everything from lost lottery winnings to book bannings and even what some people refer to as makeup sex. >> oh, boy. batten down the hatches. also a reminder for all of you that howard stern fans out there the kick of all medium will be live in our studio thursday here on "today" actually part of the nbc family now joining "america's got talent" as a judge. that's howard stern thursday here on "today." >> now that dramatic story out of california. a mother and her two young daughters, who were rescued as their car dangled from a bridge. we're going to hear from them in a moment. but first, nbc's kristen dahlgren has their story. kristen, good morning to you. >> hey, good morning, matt. it is truly amazing that they're sitting there with you. that family was lucky to your vief the initial impact, let

alone those hours spent teetering over the edge. these images are terrifying. a bmw mangled beyond recognition, barely hanging on the side of a bridge. inside, 36-year-old first grade teacher kelli lynne grove and her two children. below, 100-foot drop. >> engine 31 will be at a vehicle that's teetering off the bridge, with three patients in it at this time. >> reporter: groves car had been rear-ended by a tractor trailer. the truck plunged over the edge, and its driver was killed. but groves, her 10-year-old sage and her 10-week-old baby millo, were miraculously alive. seat belt, air bags and the baby's car seat had saved them from the initial impact. but their lives were still hanging by a thread. any move was risky. >> each time we tried to pry her out, the car kept sleeping over the side a little bit more. >> reporter: groves pleaded for rescuers to save her children. and then an amazing stroke of

luck. navy seabees happened to drive by. and then just happened to have a massive and rare piece of equipment that could stabilize the car. >> we said we do have this that's capable of picking up 10,000 points. we sure can hold that car up and help save those lives. >> it was a turning point for us. we knew at that point that the vehicle wasn't going to fall. it also gave a platform for our workers to work from. >> reporter: it took 2 hours and 21 minutes but once stable, firefighters could use the jaws of life and all three were pulled from the wreckage. for sage, who had some broken bones, then milo, miraculously almost unscathed. and finally mom was lifted to safety. groves had fractures, but like her girls, was alive. saved by a group of fearless rescuers, and one incredible stroke of luck. now those navy seabees were on their way home from a training

exercise. at first they didn't realize exactly what was going on so they offered to help direct traffic, not knowing that they had the piece of equipment that would ultimately save three lives. matt? >> all right, kristen dahlgren, thank you so much. kelli groves is with us exus clive, along with her daughters sage and milo. michael penn is the family's attorney. you are one lucky family. >> yeah. >> i look at that footage, kelli, and i can't believe the car didn't go over, and what -- i don't think we mentioned there, you're sitting in that car, you saw the truck that hit you go over and explode beneath you. >> right. i was conscious the whole time and remember each step of the way. and the terror of looking down and realizing how high we were, and what fate could lie ahead of us. >> you even felt the heat from that truck burning below and you could hear the tires exploding. >> right. >> as they caught fire. >> right. >> based on where you were sitting, could you see and communicate with your daughters? >> i could not see either one of them.

i could reach my arm back and i could feel milo's head. and as i brought my hand back, i noticed she was bleeding pretty badly from her head. but i couldn't see her face. i could hear her crying a little bit. sage is the one that i had no idea where she was in the car. >> were you yelling to her? >> it was a mangled mess, and i was yelling for her. i said sage, sage, you've been in an accident. pass that one off. she wants to talk. i couldn't see where she had been in the car. i thought for a minute maybe she'd been thrown out. >> right. >> and all i saw was a small patch of her hair. >> this is sage's hair. >> this is sage, yes. >> smashed through the metal and the debris and i started patting her head calling out to her sage, sage, answer me. and she wouldn't answer me and she wasn't moving and i had no idea what shape the rest of her body was in. all i could see was that little circle of her head. >> did you feel the car teetering? i mean, did you feel as if it was slipping?

>> there were moments that i could feel a little jolt, more so when the rescuers were trying to cut through the metal. at that first instant, it was just looking down, knowing that this is most likely what will happen. >> a lot of lucky things here. there was a tow truck on the scene, called 911. firefighters and police officers arrived quickly. there were a lot of them in the area, because of a training exercise. and then these navy seabees arrived with this one piece of equipment that can stabilize that car so rescuers like greg knuckles, who is a firefighter from santa barbara, could really talk you through this whole thing. what was having him there like for you? >> he was my rock in the middle of all this. it was someone that i could communicate with directly, as he would walk away, i would find myself saying where's greg? where's greg? he just -- he just reminded me of why i -- what i needed to do. and that was to save my girls. >> he eventually climbed over the side of the car that was

most exposed to the drop. >> right. >> and saved milo. >> milo. >> and then you watched as sage was removed from the car as well and you were removed as well. did you have a chance in all the frenzy that happened afterwards to thank these people who rescued you? >> no, the one thing, when something like this happens is, i have yet to be able to say in person, and meet all the people that saved our lives. i have yet to say thank you. and that's just an understatement. >> well, greg knuckles who is with the santa barbara fire department and sergeant tom mullen of the california highway patrol are with us. >> no. >> this morning. and i know they would like to say something to you, so gentlemen, if you could come in. nice to see you. it's a pleasure. good to see you. >> hi, matt. >> nice to see you. >> thank you.

thank you. >> and i think you did actually get to see -- >> i'm fine, how are you? >> who are you? feeling better? >> why don't you have a seat there for a second. guys, i mean, you arrived at the scene. had you ever seen anything like that, this car dangling like that? >> no, i hadn't. that was something that was incomprehensible, quite frankly. >> how did she do during all this? >> fantastic. yes. kelli you were amazingly strong. once we sort of connected and discussed, you know, what was happening, and you did everything that we asked of you and even more. and sage you were absolutely amazing and brave. very brave girl. >> you, i mean, there was a lot of luck involved here. some very skilled rescue. but also a lot of luck in terms of the things that happened one after another. >> there was. you know, you can't beat the fire department of san today barbara county. they're the tops.

and i was in the office that day to do a presentation on our grants to the business association, and as soon as the whole accident was over i went and did my presentation, and the first thing i told them, if you don't know that you have the best fire department in california, then watch the news tonight and you're going to see it. and they did an excellent job. it was just -- it was great having the seabees there. seabees actually got stuck in traffic. i remember at the point the seabee came up to my officer and said hey, we got a piece of equipment that might be able to help and everybody started running very quickly. the firemen were running. the seabees were running. we had to back a couple of the big rigs out to get the fork lift, the flat bed loaded up. >> and kelly, when you finally were extricated from this wreckage and in the days that followed when you saw that footage that we've now been showing so often for the first time, did it hit you in a different way? >> it's still surreal to me that we're sitting here, and that was us in that car.

it was terror at first, and then it fades to just relief. huge amount of relief and gratitude, and it's hard to watch but at the same time, it really happened. it's what we're taking with our lives and moving forward. >> you know, it's the expression, it wasn't your time ever had true meaning, this is the time. it was not your time. >> not all of our times. the three of us, it's just a miracle. >> we're happy for you. guys, thank you so much. and a job well done. and you guys do this every day. it's nice to be able to have the chance to stop and recognize your efforts. >> thank you. >> thank you, matt. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> and let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. >> and we got some nice folks here. what's your -- make noise for safe summer? >> yes, absolutely.

>> all right. >> we're promoting the safest summer ever program. >> all right. very nice. let's see what you've got for your weather today. we're looking at some cool and breezy conditions here in the northeast. 50s and 60s, 80s and 90s as you head your way down into the southwest. 80s around the gulf coast. on the weather map today, a risk of wet weather stretching from texas all the way into the northeast and new england. beautiful weather through the plains. the rockies, and on into the southwest. >> good morning. we will start out with dry conditions. the chance for rain increases as we move through the day.

>> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. up next incredible video of a ferry striking a duck boat and the legal battle over who should be held accountable. i'm so happy to be marrying your mom. and i'm really happy that you're in my life too. it's just like yours, mom! [ jane ] behind every open heart is a story. tell yours with my open hearts collection at kay jewelers. keep your heart open and love will always find its way in. ♪ every kiss begins with kay

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back now at 7:45 with the high profile legal battle over a tragic accident in philadelphia. it was a giant barge ran over a duck boat filled with tourists back in 2010. two students were killed and now their families want justice. nbc's mara schiavocampo is in philadelphia covering the legal proceedings. mara, good morning. >> ann, good morning. it was a terrible accident. a 250-foot barge drove right over a 33-foot duck boat full of tourists. in just a moment we're going to show you video of that accident, but we should warn you that it is disturbing. the operators of the duck boat and the tugboat guiding that barge want a judge to rule that they are not responsible. but the families of the victims

say that it is their fault and they should have to pay. arriving at u.s. district court in philadelphia monday, the families of two hungarian tourists say boat operators are responsible for the loss of their loved ones. video played in court monday show the the tragic accident. in july 2010, a barge guided by a tugboat plowed into an idle ride the duck sightseeing tugboat on philadelphia's delaware river causing it to sink in 55 feet of water with 35 passengers and two crew members on board. the 20-year-old and 16-year-old were killed in the accident. a lawyer for the family said in court monday the teenager can be seen throwing a life preserver to a deck hand in the water. >> she was only 16. she was our life. and since her passing our life has been filled with darkness. >> what was to be the trip of a lifetime, instead it's where

their life ended. >> reporter: the owners of the barge, tugboat and the duck boat all claim they are, quote, not liable and are asking a federal judge to ensure the liability be limited to the value of the vessels. about $1.8 million. a legal precedent set by a 161-year-old maritime law. >> the families of these youngsters are saying, in fact, that's not fair. that's not right. these children's lives are worth so much more. >> reporter: an ntsb report found tugboat operator matthew devlin caused the accident due to, quote, repeated personal use of his cell phone while solely responsible for navigating the vessel. in november devlin was sentenced to a year in prison, after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter. duck boat tours are offered in cities all around the country. this ride the duck philadelphia promotional video shows the amphibious vessel as a fun way to see a city by land and by sea. while most rides go off without

a hitch, it's not always smooth sailing. sunday a ride the duck boat stalled without explanation, and had to be towed to shore. now since that 2010 accident, a coast guard rescue boat must be on standby at all times during duck boat tours in philadelphia. we reached out to the operators of the duck boat and the tugboat and both companies said that they do not comment on pending litigation. ann? >> all right, mara schiavocampo, thank you so much. and coming up next we're going to take a big turn and check out fashion's biggest night. we're going to show you who wore what to the met gala with the help of giuliana rancic. but first, these messages. (bell rings) hi. good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some.

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surprise! surprise! surprise! surprise! i had no idea. [ gigi ] nice 'n easy. available in original or award winning foam from the color experts at clairol. it is often called the oscars of the east coast, the metropolitan museum's costume gala here in new york where the world's fashion designers and stars dress to impress, sometimes even shock on the red carpet. giuliana rancic was there last night covering the action. nice to see you. >> good morning. matt lauer was there last night. >> you were actually covering it. >> i was. >> a lot of risk takers there. >> we got to start with beyonce. did you guys see this dress? >> strategically placed yes. >> it was very revealing this dress. and she actually arrived very fashionably late. she was the last one on the red carpet. but when you're wearing a dress like this you're allowed to be the last one on the red carpet.

>> was it see-through top to bottom? >> look at that. yes, it was all there. so she was definitely showing off that post-baby body in this kind of, you know, puddle of feathers. it was quite a statement. >> yeah. what else stood out to you. >> carolina kirkova, she's a victoria's secret model. she was with rachel zoe wearing rachel zoe. i thought this was a stunning dress. the turban on the other hand, some people weren't big fans of. i thought it was gorgeous. if you're going to wear a turban anywhere, the met gala is the place to do it. so she just looked so statuesque and stunning. >> big hairdo that's making a lot of buzz i guess is tom brady's. a guy. >> i know, right. usually we look for the women for crazy hair and wild hair. yeah, okay. so it's kind of off to the side a little bit. i know. what do you -- as the men here? it looked a little bit -- >> no matter what he wears he's still handsome. >> it was pretty good.

giuliana, thank you.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> in a lot going on out there for the morning commute. accident at washington boulevard and 1195. frederick road and and pfefferkorn road in west friendship. these start from 30 to all the way in. 12 miles per hour on the west side outer loop. this continues down the west side. you are looking at j.f.x. delays that begin at northern parkway. 11 miles per hour towards the

construction zone. fayette street, watch for an accident. coming out from white marsh, they stretched to the harford county line. north side from belair road towards the harrisburg expressway, inner loop tied up between the area of dulaney valley and i-95. lots of delays to go around this morning. here is what it looks like greenspring. coming towards us is out of the traffic. that is the pace of things towards the west side. white marsh, we're looking at a backup. it stretches back to the harford county line. tony has a check and a forecast. >> sunshine on the traffic cameras. we're starting out in fine condition. it will change in the next few hours. 62 at the airport. 57 degrees in rising sun. rain showing up on the radar. eventually, that is going to move into the baltimore area,

but probably not until the middle of the afternoon. mostly cloudy, chance for showers and thunderstorms later today. high temperature of 74.

8:00 now here on a tuesday morning. that's not the greatest weather for a day of sightseeing here in new york city, but we're really happy to all of the nice people who decided to start their day here with us this morning. and it's about -- it's pretty nice out, about 56 degrees. we're expecting some rain acc d according to al roker. we want to say hi to everyone. meantime, i'm ann curry along with matt lauer and the aforementioned al roker. al, thank you so much. and coming up we're going to be hearing from today's professionals. >> that's right. star and donny are here and they're being joined this morning by hoda and kathie lee. filling in for dr. nancy. among the topics we'll be talking about this morning, is it ever okay to pad your resume?

embellish it a little bit. what about that book, "fifty shades of grey" being banned from some public libraries? and the pros and cons of makeup sex. that's not where you make it up, that is where you make up with your partner. >> so you don't wear makeup? >> or make it up. you know. anyway, also coming up this morning we'll be talking to dr. mehmet oz, he's here in our studio and the five simple ways you can improve your health and completely transform your life. he's on a mission to transform america. >> all right. the former "three's company" star suzanne somers will be joining us. she's going to open up on a new book about aging, plus her reunion with "three's company" co-star joyce dewitt after decades of the fewing. >> okay, that's good. and also coming up, i want to mention that we have been having a lot of fun lately. we're going to show you that matt and al and natalie and i we basically take to the air in a performance that you may have to see to believe because we joined the acrobatic cost --

>> that looks like a scene from "girl with the dragon tattoo." >> there's an off broadway spectacle, and it's pretty crazy, and also, we also took to the row. i mean we basically went crewing with the princeton crew team and tried to show them up, and kickoff our little series called "today takes on" coming up tomorrow here on "today." it will be a lot of fun. >> it was a lot of fun. we think you'll enjoy that. >> the harness kind of pulled the wrong way. >> had some chafing. >> it was all right. >> let's go inside. natalie is standing by at the news desk with a check of the headlines. >> hi, guys, good morning once again. good morning, everyone. in the news the fbi is analyzing an upgraded underwear bomb seized as part of a foiled al qaeda plot to bring down a passenger jet bound for the u.s. officials say a cia operation in yemen uncovered the plan about a month ago and followed it closely before shutting it down. intelligence officials say the bomb had no metal parts and was likely made by the same al qaeda

expert who designed the failed 2009 underwear bomb, along with devices hidden inside printer cartridges two years ago. the search for two missing sisters has taken on new urgency following a horrible discovery. nbc's charles hadlock has the latest from alpine, mississippi. good morning, charles. >> good morning, natalie. police have now positively identified the bodies of a mother and daughter found buried in a shallow grave behind this house here in mississippi. but the fbi is not giving up hope of finding the other two children alive. after searching for hours in the backyard of a mississippi home late monday, the news no one wanted to hear. the fbi says two bodies buried in a shallow grave were identified as jo ann bain and her 14-year-old daughter adrienne. her two other daughters are still missing, 12-year-old alexandria and 8-year-old kyliyah. investigators started digging at

the home over the weekend. it's where 35-year-old suspect adam mayes had been staying. police say mayes is a friend of the bain family and visited their tennessee home in the days before their disappearance. authorities believe the girls still missing are with mayes, who is considered armed and dangerous. on april 27th, jo ann bain left home with her three daughters. bain's husband gary reported them missing. days later, police questioned mayes but let him go. now they say he's on the run and may have changed his appearance, and the appearance of the missing children. the search has expanded to several states, and investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward. police have not released a cause of death of jo ann bain or her daughter. but police are also saying that the husband gary is not considered a suspect. the fbi and the u.s. marshals service is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the missing children and an

arrest. natalie? >> horrific story. charles hadlock in alpine, mississippi. thank you. and now for a look at what is trending today, our quick roundup of what has you talking online. 20 years after starring in the movie "hero" dustin hoffman is one. according to "the sun" the 74-year-old actor was strolling in london's hyde park last month when he saw a jogger having a heart attack. hoffman phoned for help and stayed with the victim who is now recovering from surgery but has no memory of what happened. lost star matthew fox is a stop google search term following his reported arrest for suspected dui. tmz says fox was stopped in the wee hours friday near his oregon home while on a fast food run. last summer fox was acoused of stuffling with a female bus driver in cleveland but no charges were filed in that case. and this video of a teenage girl's battle with two titans of the industry is gaining momentum on youtube. that's bill gates and warren buffett. they were no match for 16-year-old share yell singh, a member of the u.s. olympic table

tennis team. what's a billionaire to do? well, get a bigger paddle. that might help. there you go. it's 8:05 right now. you're up to date. let's go outside to al with a check of your weather. >> oh, that's pretty good. thank you, natalie. got some folks from oswego state. they brought us some candy. very nice. >> you enjoy it. all right. >> and over here, some of you. you guys want to let your family know something? >> i'm pregnant. >> you are. and is this your first? >> this is my first, yeah. >> all right. not sure who -- you were standing a little close. back off, all right! well, congratulations. >> thank you. >> what do you do? >> what? >> what do you do? >> what do you do -- when are you do. october 19th. that was a trick question. shouldn't have thrown that. i guess he kind of threw you off. let's see what's going on. that went so terribly wrong. what can you do? nashville, tennessee, working

for you. one of the great nbc affiliates. mostly cloudy, mild, 78 degrees. rain from texas on into the northeast. and new england. some clouds getting ready to move into the pacific northwest, not a bad day. showers, slight risk of strong storms, southern texas. and sunny skies down through southern florida. hit or miss thunderstorms in >> good morning. we're watching a system, the mountains that will increase the chance of rain for baltimore. a better chance for showers this >> that's your latest weather. did you have a question? >> no, i was wondering, did you ask that girl how she made a

baby? >> i asked when she was do. >> you embarrassed her. >> how did you make that jump? >> that's what she said! coming up this morning, we've got hoda and kathie lee. this is crazy. hoda and kathie lee joining "today's professionals." talking about everything from winning lottery tickets tossed into the trash and banning a racy book. what? with magic. you are? see the egg? uh huh. so, look at the orange. now close your eyes. ♪ alakazaam! [ sighs ] you're good. and now i'm gonna make this flower bloom. presto. "love you lots." do you want to see it again? yes, i want to see it again! [ female announcer ] hallmark blooming expressions delivers your love again and again.

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"today's professionals," tackling the day's hottest headlines. our panel of power players today, star joins, donny deutsch and sitting in for dr. nancy snyderman it takes two of them, hoda kotb and kathie lee gifford. good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> let's start with this lottery story we had yesterday. we had sharon jones on the program. we made a habit of going through the trash in her local convenience store in arkansas looking for discarded lottery tickets, scratchoff cards, because sometimes they're good for secondary prizes. she found one worth $1 million. is this a case of finders keepers, losers weepers? >> not according to the law of courts. there are several different layers. first, the woman who originally bought the ticket, she says she would not have abandoned it but for the lottery machine itself malfunctioning. >> however, didn't they check the mash be and find it was working well? >> they said it was working well. but then you have the next layer, the people who own the convenience store. they say the trash belongs to them and they did not abandon the trash. if they don't abandon the trash,

then -- >> but they know she was going through the garbage. she did it on a regular basis. >> there's supposed to be a sign that says this trash belongs to us, you may not take things from it. that's stealing. >> jump in. >> if solomon were taking this case he would say the nice thing to do is everybody split it evenly. since there's such a concern about it. >> why is everyone so sure that that lady who scratched off the ticket -- >> the lady who says she put it in the reader says she was at the store at a certain time and the clock on the reader says that was the time the card went into the machine. >> i think if the machine malfunctioned the original woman deserves it. if it didn't malfunction -- >> how are you going to prove it? >> and there's a little twist here, because sharon jones has spent about $200,000 of the $680,000 she got after taxes. >> i would not make her have to pay that back. >> she should start spending more quickly. >> no, no, no, they put a a stop on it so she can't spend any more money but i don't think she should have to pay it back because she did not intentionally steal that. >> she gave the money away to

her kids. >> let's move on. a lot of people have heard of the book series, "fifty shades of grey," okay. it's about an older billionaire man who's a dominant man in a relationship with a younger woman who is submissive. and according to donny, it drips with sex, this book. but on a more serious note, in brevard county, florida, after buying the books for their public library, the public library is taking them off the shelves because they consider them perhaps pornographic. how do we feel about this? >> why this book? because there are a lot of books in public libraries -- >> lady chatterly's lover, those are considered classics. >> i'll get those back soon. they're just a little overdue. >> my books are also banned there. >> what do you think about it? >> it's ridiculous. the interesting phenomenon with this book, it's about a dominant guy. i don't see the news. i have yet to meet the woman who doesn't like dominant men. women are going crazy over this book. >> it's just a very sexy combination of things.

you get the rich dude, you get the dominance. >> we're getting off the point here. the point is, if there are children walking this public library, should the library take this book off the shelves because kids might check it out? >> there should be a separate area for children. just like -- yes like "r" movies, kids under 17 are not allowed. >> once again, we can't blame the libraries or the television networks, you have parents. >> there's nothing about the book just looking at it that's going to tell you that it's pornographic. >> here's what the library's doing though. people are going to be more into this book than ever before. the more people talk about it, they're banning that book, it's going to be -- >> our tax dollars pay to stock this book on the shelves of the public library? >> i don't want us making choices about literature based on somebody else's -- >> let's move on. resumes. everybody's filled out a resume, especially in this time of under andi iounemployment. recent the case of yahoo! scott

thomness who apparently embellished his resume. although the company says it was an honest mistake. how often do you all think people embellish or fib on their resumes and how big a deal is it? >> you know, i've seen tens of thousands of resumes. there's a different between, the president of the united states said he was in the top five in his class and he was in the bottom five, i think what's fascinating the most celebrated businessmen of our time, mark zuckerberg, if you follow the movie, stole the idea from those guys, then basically, you know, threw out his best friend, hoodwinked him, and we celebrate. we celebrate people who did this, who cut corners, who are clever, and yet then we kind of hold ourselves to a different femme on none. >> there's resume and lying. lying is you flat-out say you went to a college you didn't go to. but spinning a resume is something i think people do. it's an art. >> or you belong to a civic organization you didn't or a club or -- >> no, no, no.

>> we're actually talking about is the difference between a bachelor's of science in business administration, versus a bachelor's of arts in computer science. and that's what they're arguing about. >> and in today's world, how ultimately foolish is it to do it by trying to build yourself up in a negative way it's only discovered that you were lying, which is exactly the opposite of what you want to accomplish. >> if you lie on a piece of paper, in other words on a resume, worse or better than a lie or a fib you would tell in person? >> it's the same thing. >> but i do think that we are being hypocritical. we celebrate the rogue businessman, i think that's interesting. >> finally, posted on the web site psychologytoday, says makeup sex with your partner after an argument is bad for you. saying it's no different than an addict who needs cocaine because it helps you jump from the low of the argument to the high of intimacy, and intimacy that the writer says is false. we've all had makeup sex, is -- >> excuse me, how do you assume that we had makeup sex.

>> i know you have. >> i always wear makeup. >> is it true, is makeup sex a bad thing or a good thing? >> i think -- i think when you have makeup sex i think that the man thinks the problem is over. and the problem's not over. no, whatever the argument was -- no, it's true. >> by the way, when i'm in a fight with a woman, not that that's ever happened it lingers for days. it's not this moment where she goes -- >> you deserve it. >> i'm just curious. it's never this culmination of it's okay. >> sometimes you just can look at each other and say, you know what, we're never going to agree on what this is about, let's just stop it. let's just put it -- >> no, i just know, there is -- when there is forgiveness involved. say someone has truly hurt you and then you make love afterwards, for the person who's been hurt, there is healing. for the person who did the hurting, there is forgiveness. >> by the way -- it's just a good time. >> i think -- >> getting back on the same page emotionally? >> i think it's extremely healing. >> it's a reconnect to the person that you love. if this is the person that you

love and you're emotionally connected to them. donny, you have to understand that it's not just about doing it, okay? >> that will be it. okay, kathie lee i've said it a thousand times i'll say it again. i am truly sorry. star, donny, kathie lee and hoda. up next, dr. mehmet oz shares the five things you can do to lead a healthy life. that's right after this. ♪ [ dad ] what's that? you got mommy a mother's day present? oh, i totally agree...

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[ female announcer ] introducing new fresh take. kraft natural cheese, and the perfect blend of spices and bread crumbs all in one bag. we're not just making cheese. we're helping you make something amazing. ♪ love is a bright idea ♪ life is amazing... [ female announcer ] new fresh take from kraft. ♪ ...love that i found ♪ dr. mehmet oz is the host of "the dr. oz show," he's on a mission to make america healthier. for the past eight months as part of his challenge called transformation nation, more than 1.2 million americans have committed to living better. dr. oz is now joining us to reveal the secrets of his success. good morning, dr. oz. >> good morning. >> you say that in the process of this, america has taught you a thing or two about how to stay healthier. what is the big key to success that you discovered? >> a doctor always learns from their patients. of the 1.2 million people who

signed up. remember we've got our ten finalists chosen this week. i'm so excited about this. but we have a snapshot into the health of america. a huge repository of information about how we sleep, how we eat. how we exercise. how much sex we have. and the stress that we have, sometimes trouble coping with. when you look at all that information, people who really made a big difference here are the folks who learn to show up in their own lives. people who realized they were worth it and they were worth it to the people around them, as well. those are the folks who made the biggest difference over the last eight months of the transformation. >> the emotional kind of realization that you're worth it and value and take care of yourself and for example, the five mention that you say that they are all doing, the healthiest people, they're eating breakfast. >> we know eating breakfast makes sense. but the reality for those folks is they recognize that they ought to eat it. if they eat the same kind of breakfast every day they set their hormones up in the right way so their metabolism will be fast all day long. they decided, this is assertiveness training, they had breakfast every morning. 90% of the people in the healthiest group, said they

would. 42% of people in our group or our survey, out of the 1.2 million people, said they were not healthy. they were really unhealthy. that matches that brand-new report today that predict 42% of people will be obese by 2030. that probably will bankrupt our nation. so america thinks they're unhealthy, the data shows they're right. the people who are healthy are doing it a little differently. >> they're exercising. you learned there are no short cuts here. >> you go around the world, watch people live a long time, they're the ones who are staying vigorous all through their life. there are no boundaries around who gets healthy. young people do this, older people do this. there's no reason to put a limit on who you are. >> they're also having a satisfying sex life. >> the good news here, the professionals were discussing this a little bit earlier, the reality is that americans who are healthy think they're having more sex. but no one is having enough sex. everyone feels a little short there. we still have a sexual famine in america. we can all do a little better. makeup sex or not. >> okay. also we say that 95% of the healthy people you surveyed

don't do me time. >> gave you insight here. they were willing to make time for themselves. why? because they're worth it. and they're worth it, therefore they'll do what's right for themselves. a lot of women watching especially who don't feel they have the self-esteem to think they're worth taking time for themselves. people in the healthiest group, 95% of the time made that me time. took the five minutes a day to make their life a little easier. >> one of the greatest findings is that one of the greatest impacts is stress management. why does stress make us so vulnerable to weight gain? >> when you have stress. i've got an ap nation to show this to you. your brain turns on important chemicals. he they're released from the brain travel from the brain and here again, the animation is going to emphasize this, those hormones turn on the adrenal gland. when they surge forth with cortisol they take stack and brild up fat in the muscle in your belly in particular. that gives that belly fat that we're so worried about. a stressed out person, the transformation nation will always accumulate fat because their body thinks they're

starving. because the stress stores fat. >> dr. mehmet oz. exciting to keep us healthy. >> our ten finalists. find yourself in their stories on droz.com. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a check on your morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> good morning, everyone. hanging onto a lot of delays this morning. problems on washington boulevard. the ramp that takes you to 195, there is this bill there. 14 miles per hour on the west side outer loop. delays on eastbound i-7329 miles per hour from 40 towards 29. linwood and madison, in this city, we have an accident. northern parkway is where they

began. those delays begin towards the construction zone. 17 miles per hour from the harford baltimore county line. heavy traffic down to the 895 split. north side on the inner and outer loop, dealing with delays. live view of traffic at greenspring. going away from us is inner loop traffic. white marsh, at a standstill. heading southbound from the harford county line. >> so far, so good. pleasant morning. 62 at the airport, 61 in westminster bridge 58 in parkton. scattered showers and thunderstorms at west virginia, west of hagerstown. forecast is becoming mostly cloudy with a chance for a few

showers and thunderstorms. scattered showers and thunderstorms on wednesday as well. >> we will havel

♪ we're back now 8:30 on a tuesday morning. the 8th day of may, 2012. if the plaza is looking a little more beautiful than normal this morning that's simply because al roker is wearing a beautiful pink shirt. we are happy to have all the contestants with us for the upcoming miss usa pageant to be held in las vegas in the next month. and we're happy to have them here. they're joined by the current miss usa.

we're going to hear from her in just a couple of minutes. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, natalie morales, and al roker. and meanwhile, if you've got children who play sports, you know that it often takes a lot of people behind the scenes to get them to the next level. talking about moms and dads and family members so this morning we've got some olympic hopefuls with us, and since mother's day is just around the corner, we're going to talk to them and celebrate their moms. as well. >> that's right. and also speaking of family ties, we have martin sheen and emilio estevez joining us this morning live in our studio coming up in this half hour. they've written a touching new memoir about their lives together. it was inspired by the movie they were last year talking about called "the way" we're interviewing them about that. so we'll be talking to them about that, the fegs father/son bond. >> also we're going to be catching up with suzanne somers. she's going to open up about her new book on aging and her sit down with "three's company" co-star joyce dewitt after 30 years of not talking.

>> good for them. >> later on, jill martin will be here. we got our steals and deals. everything from jewelry to cookies to deep, deep discounts. all for our "today" show viewers. >> cool. >> that's right. i mentioned that we have alyssa, leading miss usa with us this morning. nice to see you. bittersweet time for you because the pageant is coming up and that means, of course, you're about to hand over the crown? >> i'm about to participate in the olympics of beauty pageants. the miss usa pageant. it is bittersweet. come full circle now. you were the very first interview when i won miss usa. >> you've also done a lot of work for breast and ovarian cancer awareness. how has that been for you? i mean that's got to have been meaningful of? >> it's been very meaningful. my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago and now she's a survivor. getting to work with breast cancer awearsness and ovarian cancer awareness was -- i learned a lot about my own body. with someone in my family who had breast cancer i learned how

to take care of myself better so i could educate others. >> it's been a whirlwind year. you've been trying to savor it and maybe keep some keepsakes. i understand you have 150 boarding passes? >> i collected every single boarding pass from every flight i took from the very first one from going from vegas to new york, to brazil, to france, to bahamas, to texas, i mean i've got all sorts of boarding passes. >> what are you going to do with them? >> i don't know. >> i'm thinking like a nice box or a college and a picture frame on the wall. >> i don't know. >> what advice you have for these gorgeous young ladies who hope to be wearing the crown, as well? >> breathe, eat and be merry. and get enough sleep now because you won't be getting much in vegas at all. >> 51 contestants. we have 44 year today. who didn't show up? i want names. immediately out of the pageant. >> you know what? i couldn't come last year. >> i know. >> i was doing a commercial.

>> we want to tell people they can watch this pageant, miss usa live on june 3rd, 9:00, 8:00 central time right here on nbc. mr. roker. >> all right. that's what's going on around 's >> good morning. we will start out with dry conditions. the chance for rain increases as we move through the day. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next we've got some olympic hopefuls and their moms coming up on our plaza. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

the olympic games are just 80 days away. mother's day is coming up this weekend. and because those two events are converging, there's a great new ad online that is thanking moms for the work they do for olympic hopefuls. and it's getting a lot of play. in the last week alone about 7 million people have watched it. take a look. >> time to get up. >> wake up. ♪ ♪

♪ >> p&g, proud sponsor of moms. >> and joining us here on the plaza, some of the top olympic hopefuls in the country. we have gymnasts, swimmers, track and field athletes, tae kwon do, weightlifters welcome. and moms, as well. welcome. and over here i've got 16-year-old jordan weaver who is the 2011 world champion in the all-around gymnastics and she is joined by her mom rita. nice to see the two of you. and you're attempting to make your very first olympic team at this stage of the game are you nervous, excited, what? >> a little bit of both. i'm definitely more excited. but it's going to be a fun

journey and i'm looking forward to it. >> you have spent an awful lot of time, rita, supporting your daughter. >> yeah. >> in this cause. has it always been a labor of love, or have there been times where you thought, why don't we go off and do something else? >> you know, for the 99% of it has been a labor of love. it's been fun. there's always the ups and downs that the moms go through but it's been great. >> how do you draw a line between encouraging and pushing? >> i leave the pushing to the coaches. i just make sure she's fed and sleeping and give her all the support she needs and the coaches can do the pushing. >> jordan talk to me a little bit about what role your mom and your family have played in your success so far? >> my mom and my family have been so great through my whole gymnastics career. from the very beginning. they drove me to practice every single day, every day of the week and they've made so many sacrifices so i can follow my dreams and reach my goal. >> we're hoping to see you in london. i have a feeling that we probably will be seeing you there.

rita, you'll be making the trip, as well? >> absolutely. >> happy mother's day. >> thank you. >> good luck to you. >> to my left over here i've got one of the greatest swimmers in the world right now, ryan lockty. he is hoping to make his third olympic team. he's here with his mom. nice to see the two of you. ryan do you think enough is said about the role that families and moms, since mother's day is coming, play in the lives of athletes? >> oh, it's a big part. i mean my mom has been there through everything. and she's been there through thick and thin, and she's supported me my whole entire life, and i mean, i love her. >> and you're crying already. imagine what's going to happen in london. how are you going to survive? >> i hide. nobody ever sees me. >> that's true. you go to all of these swimming meets and you don't tell anybody where you are and you just kind of hide out in the crowd. why is that so important to you? >> so i can cry. >> she's a real crier. >> you know, i show my emotions

all the time, and so i want to do that, and i don't want to be in front of all these people. >> i mean you must be so proud of your son. >> i am. >> what he's accomplished. he has gotten better with every passing year. >> he has. every year i think -- there hasn't been one year that he hasn't improved on his teams from 2004 -- actually 2000 when he missed making the olympic trials to 2004 where he actually made. every time he swam in a big meet he swam best times. >> it was fine. we're going to -- >> he drank some water that he wasn't supposed to drink. >> ryan, good luck to you as you head for the olympics as well. 80 days away. happy mother's day to you. pardon me for crossing. let me say hi to jody allen of procter & gamble which is an olympic sponsor.

>> i am superexcited. thank you to all of these incredible, incredible moms. and to my own mom. i have to say, we asked the u.s. olympic committee how we could best support these fantastic moms and what they told us is help them get to london. and so i'm super excited, we are nounsing that we're giving a gift of $1,000 to the nearly 800 moms of the olympians and paralympians to get to london. >> and once they get there you're pampering them. >> you got to believe it. we're opening a p&g family home that will have services including meals. it will have the ability to get a makeover. or your hair done. so we can pamper all these great moms. so it's really going to be a wonderful experience. >> and what's going to be nice for ike is you'll be able to give her mascara. >> you better believe it. we'll make you up every time. >> all good. >> thank you so much. thank you from procter & gamble. good luck, folks. happy mother's day. we're going to be back with much more on a tuesday morning.

martin sheen and his son emilio estevez have each racked up a long list of hollywood credits. they've also worked together on movie sets and now they are co-authors of a new dual memoir that comes out today, it's called "along the way: the journey of a father and son." martin sheen and emilio estevez, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> you know, this was really a labor of love. and it came after some soul searching during the making of this movie "the way." what happened in that process of making that movie and, and, that made you decide to write a book? together? >> well, it was born out of the movie, which was inspired by his son, taylor, and i were on a

program in spain in 2003. and taylor met his future wife along the way. and emilio began visiting his son, and got interested in the camino and pilgrims, and began to form this scenario about a father/son. and it echoed in a lot of ways our personal relationship. and so the book originally, which is going to be a reflection of a film, as we planned, it would be a picture book, as well as a narration of how the film was born, and grew. >> it grew. it grew into a book about your relationship, your lives together. martin you write about emilio, of all the kids, he has always been the one most willing to let me off the hook. who accepted my flaws, and always forgave me. who never held a grudge. i've known i had that going for me, and i've been taking advantage of it, and as i've done many times before.

emilio, that is an -- that is an honest, honest, unflinching self-assessment. did you expect this book, in this book to reveal so much of yourself? >> well, you know, i -- i figured if it's worth doing, it's worth doing well. this is a book that celebrates our flaws, as well as our triumphs, and successes. and i really believe that it's -- we're all on a path. and this book is really about the path that fathers and sons take together, whether they know it or not. >> mm-hmm. >> you know, how many fathers and sons don't speak to each other. the fact that we have this extraordinary relationship. the fact that we've been through so much together. i'm going to be 50 this coming saturday. so we've got 50 years together, this extraordinary relationship. and i feel closer to he and my mother now than ever before. >> you deal with some very tough

topics in this book, and emilio, you write when he drank he needed attention. and if he didn't get it, he'd demand it. he acted as though alcohol gave him a license to misbehave, when, instead it made him unreasonable. it didn't make him strong in my eyes. it made him look weak. >> true. >> that had to be so hard, martin, to read that. >> that's why i started looking away. >> i had to get -- we learned an awful lot about him as we were doing the book because we did it separately. hope edelman introduced him for a long period and then she'd interview me and meanwhile we would get the text of his interview so we learned a lot about things we had no idea, and it took a lot of courage for him to give an honest assessment of our relationship, and he encouraged me to do the same. and we didn't touch each other through the topics. >> so in doing this then and being honest, and you've been sober for some time now, in coming and facing the hardship

and also in writing all about this stuff honestly, what is -- what's going to come out of this book, not just for you, but for potentially for the people who read it? >> frankly, i'm hoping that it's banned by all the libraries so it will become a best-seller. >> like "fifty shades of grey"? >> exactly. >> which have you read that book? >> no, i haven't. >> okay. >> i can't get it anywhere. >> i could maybe get you a copy if you really want one, martin. no, well this book is called "along the way" and i think maybe it should inspire fathers and sons. thank you so much. >> it's a great father's day gift. >> by the way, happy birthday coming up. and coming up next we've got actress suzanne somers on how to fight aging.

suzanne somers has gone from 50 shades of blondes on tv's "three's company" to a savvy business woman centered on health and fitness. she has just released her 23rd back called "bombshell: ek plocive medical secrets that will redefine aging today." good to see you. >> you, too. >> just by looking at you we know you've got aging under your thumb. you look fantastic. >> what i'm trying to do is make aging aspirational. i turned 65 this year and on my birthday i thought when i was a kid 65 used to be when people retired or dieded. and i'm so nowhere near either of those scenarios.

and i started really assessing what is it that i do? i do walk my talk. and i thought i'd pass it on. and then i have chosen to use this phase of my career to gather the best and brightest in the kind of health that i'm interested in, interview them, cutting edge western doctors, and find out what they're up to. >> i want to ask you about that. the book is exciting. it's called bombshell. and you talk a lot about breakthroughs in technology, therapies that you say hold the promise of eradicating cancer and making some diseases obsolete. just in the interest of managing people's expectations, i mean a lot of these therapies aren't available now, or widely available. >> actually not -- that's not true. for instance, i had a partner a couple years ago and we became friends and i stayed in touch with him. he called me this year and said i've got something that you'll be interested in. it's long been thought that

testosterone gave men prostate cancer. i've found exactly the opposite and i just completed a small but important clinical trial where i'm giving men with active prostate cancer testosterone, if they've been untreated. that's the key component here and their cancer is regressing and he said over two years not one has had a recurrence. not one has had their psa elevate and they get the great benefits of testosterone replacement. that's available right now. if i had prostate cancer and i was diagnosed right now i would get myself to boston. this doctor, i told him, he's probably not ready for a bombardment. and then another doctor, who is in florida, has just completed human trials using cancer -- white blood cells of cancer resistant human beings, inject them into cancer patients, and the cancer is regressing. so that, you can call him, he's in the book, and find out how available that is. so it's promising. >> one of the things you did yourself was on the leading

edge, you took place -- took part in a clinical trial to replace breast tissue with stem cells. >> yes. >> explain how that works. >> i lost most of my breast to cancer 11 years ago. it was called a lumpectomy but when they took the bandages off it was rather shocking. and i heard that dr. yokomura at the university of tokyo had successfully regrown the breasts of 400 japanese women so i brought him over, put him together with a doctor in los angeles, we applied for an irb, which is the institutional review board, which qualifies me for a clinical trial, and in august, after three years of waiting it came threw and we regrew my breast which is kind of, you think about it. think about what this can mean for breast cancer. when the diagnosis is one thing. but when they take the bandages off and all the women out there who have been through that, as well as i have, it's -- it's a constant reminder. >> we know it's something you hope that other women will one day be able to take part in. i want to switch gears a little

bit. something extraordinary happened. you reunited with your former co-star joyce dewitt. you all had had a falling-out 30 years ago. but you came together on your -- on your show. >> my internet talk show. >> what was that moment like for you? >> i asked her -- we agreed to do it through producers. we talked the night before. she said i just want to be sure you don't humiliate me or ambush me. i said you don't know me. i would never do that. all i want is i don't want to see you before the moment everybody sees. so what you see in this clip here is the first moment. i was fired because my contract was up and i asked for a raise commensurate with what the men were being paid. you gotta go. >> we are out of time. >> if you read the book there's so much more. >> suzanne could go on and on. we'll remind everybody the book is called "bombshell." >> thank you. >> you look great, by the way.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. a 58-year-old was arrested after zero weeks in the scare at b.w.i. thurgood marshall airport when a loaded handgun was discovered in his bag. the man from sarasota, florida

was arrested after tsa officials discovered the gun with 10 rounds of ammunition, one bullet in the chamber. he says he forgot the gun was in

>> it has been a quiet start this tuesday, but the rain will catch up to us, not until late this afternoon or evening. scattered thunderstorms possible